Rock drill



Se t. 21, 1965 'r. DEMETRIADES ROCK DRILL Filed Feb. 21, 1962 FIG.4

INVENTOR. THEODOR DEMETRIADES AGENT United States Patent 3,207,235 ROCK DRILL TheodoreDemetriades, Hammerstadgaten 18, Oslo, Norway Filed Feb. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 175,391 4 Claims. (Cl. 173-30) The present invention relates to a feeding device for rock-drilling machines.

Of the hitherto known and now used feeding devices of this kind the majority are pneumatically operated. They are as a rule relatively heavy in weight and costly, and besides require a good deal of time and labour for installation. For these reasons they are best fitted for large plants, where the drilling depth is relatively great.

It will be found therefore that in most cases rockdrillers still stand and drill by hand, that is to say that by their own muscular power and energy .they try to exert the necessary feeding pressure on the drilling machine; which means that in consequence of the vibrations of the machine they are bound to be subjected to quite a considerable stress. This has the effect that many rockdrillers get what i called white fingers and calcification of the arm and breast muscles.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a feeding device which, besides being easy and handy to transport and reasonable in cost, also avoids the abovementioned drawbacks. The invention is distinguished first and foremost by the fact that the feeding pressure is produced by the operators own bodily weight without muscular activity, owing to the circumstance that whilst working he is standing on a one-armed lever, one end of which rests on the ground and the other end of which is linked with the rock-drilling machine.

This and other features of the invention will appear from the drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows the feeding device in a preferred embodiment, installed ready for use and seen from the side; FIG. 2 shows the device looked at from above without the drilling machine; FIG. 3 shows in perspective a hoop for connecting the handle of the drilling machine with a chain, one end of which is coupled to the feeding device, and FIG. 4 is a section of the centre part of this hoop coupled to a chain.

As already mentioned, the feeding device has the form of a one-armed lever which in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shaped like a platform 1, 1', being composed of a large V-shaped bent pipe 1, between the legs of which plate 1' is welded. The free ends of the V-shaped part are provided with muffs 5, welded on, which in their side wall have a strengthening protuberance 3, welded on, which is threaded in order to receive a set screw 4. By means of this set screw it is possible to insert and firmly clamp in each of the muffs supporting legs 2, which can be adjusted individually transversely to the plane of the platform 1, 1 conformably with the lie of the ground. At the lower end these supporting leg are provided with a tip 6. The pointed part of the V-shaped platform is rounded and provided in the middle with an eye 7, welded on, which in the embodiment illustrated is coupled to one end of a helical spring 8, the other end of which is joined to one end of a chain 9. This chain is adjustably connected with the handle of the drilling mechanism 14.

FIG. 1 shows, as stated, the feeding device according to the invention coupled to a drilling machine. The two supporting legs are so adjusted in longitudinal direction that the platform 1, 1' takes up the desired start position, as shown. When drilling is to commence (or continue after a new start position has been adjusted), the operator takes his stand on the plate 1', grasps the handle 15 with both hands and begins the drilling. According as he stands on the platform a part of his weight 7 3,207,235 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 will produce a feeding pressure, which is transferred to the drill 16. Thus, apart from the fact that the operator will by means of the feeding device according to the invention save his strength and nevertheless obtain a feeding pressure which is considerably greater than he would otherwise be abel to exert, at any rate for a lengthy period, he obtains also the advantage that in a greater degree than hitherto has been possible can devote himself to holding the drill in the right position and concentrate on seeing that nothing goes wrong. The spring 8 inserted between the platform and the chain will have the effect that only a small part of the vibrations of the drilling machine will be conveyed to the platform and from this to the operator.

The invention comprises also a simple and convenient contrivance for establishing connection between the chain 9 and the handle 15 of the drilling machine. This contrivance has the form of a rigid yoke 10, the free ends of which are bent so as to form hooks 12, which are designed to be placed round the handle 15 and, if necessary, locked to this, the ends of the hooks being bent out in order to hold oval rings 13 in position on the lower side of the handle, as will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3. For coupling to the chain the middle part of the yoke 10 is shaped into a loop 11, the opening of which corresponds to the thickness of a link of the chain. When a link of the chain is pushed into this laterally directed opening, the link above, which is turned in relation to the first, will rest against the upper side of the middle of the loop 11. A change in the active length of the chain is easily and quickly performed after the operator has descended from the platform.

According to a further feature of the invention the platform is at the end which is turned toward the drill provided with a projecting bifurcated member 17, the two legs of which embrace the drill 16 and thereby serve to keep the drill straight relatively to the platform, and thereby to the ground. The bifurcated member 17 is in the embodiment shown composed of a U-shaped unit welded to the front of the platform.

The feeding device according to the invention is shown and described in connection with drilling downwards into the ground, but it is obvious that it can also be used when drilling in lateral direction or even transversely upwards, if steps are taken to lay the connecting elements between the platform and the drilling machine, in the case illustrated the chain 9, over a turning wheel, which can be journalled in some form or other for a support which in other respects is unconnected with the platform.

I claim:

1. A rock drilling machine comprising a platform capable of supporting an operator, a fulcrum support for the platform, a drill extending transversely of the platform and spaced from the fulcrum support whereby the platform constitutes a one-armed lever pivotal about the fulcrum support, a handle fixed to the drill above the platform, a yoke having two legs and a center portion connecting the legs, the legs straddling the drill handle and being fixed thereto and the center portion forming a loop, and a link chain flexibly coupling the platform to the drill handle, the link chain being the sole connection between the drill and the platform, alternating links of the chain extending in planes perpendicular to each other, the links having a thickness less than the Width of the loop but a diameter exceeding said loop width whereby the platform may be adjustably coupled to the yoke by passing one link of the chain through the loop with the next succeeding link resting on the loop.

2. The rock drilling machine of claim 1, wherein said fulcrum support consists of a plurality of adjustably mounted legs supporting one end of the platform, alternating links of the chain extending in planes perpendicular 3 to each other, the links having a thickness less than the Width of the loop but a diameter exceeding said loop Width whereby the platform may be adjustably coupled to the yoke by passing one link of the chain through the loop with the next succeeding link resting on the loop.

3. The rock drilling machine of claim 1, further com prising spring vibration damping means interposed between the platform and the link chain.

4. The rock drilling machine of claim 1, further comprising a bifurcated member fixedly attached to the platform and straddling the drill for guiding the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 866,110 9/07 Clark 17330 1,085,344 1/14 Kubat 17344 1,160,672 11/15 Tonnesen 173-31 1,167,921 1/16 Newhall 175-110 2,165,904 7/39 Osgood 173-22 2,842,341 7/58 Wink 17332 OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,039,958, printed Sept. 25, 1958. Winkie Diamond Drill (circular of Wink Corp.). Re-

10 ceived by US. Patent Office on Mar. 5, 1959, 4 pps.

BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN BENDETT, CHARLES E. OCONNELL,

Examiners. 

1. A ROCK DRILLING MACHINE COMPRISING A PLATFORM CAPABLE FOR SUPPORTING AN OPERATOR, A FULCRUM SUPPORT FOR THE PLATFORM, A DRILL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE PLATFORM AND SPACED FROM THE FULCRUM SUPPORT WHEREBY THE PLARFORM CONSTITUTES A ONE-ARMED LEVER PIVOTAL ABOUT TEH FULCRUM SUPPORT, A HANDLE FIXED TO THE DRILL ABOVE THE PLATFORM, A YOKE HAVING TWO LEGS AND A CENTER PORTION CONNECTING THE LEGS, THE LEGS STRADDLING THE DRILL HANDLE AND BEING FIXED THERETO AND THE CENTER PORTION FORMING A LOOP, AND A LINK CHAIN FLEXIBLY COUPLING THE PLATFORM TO THE DRILL HANDLE, THE LINK CHAIN BEING THE SOLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DRILL AND THE PLATFORM, ALTERNATING LINKS OF THE CHAIN EXTENDING IN PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER, THE LINKS HAVING A THICKNESS LES THAN THE WIDTH OF THE LOOP BUT A DIAMETER EXCEEDING SAID LOOP WIDTH WHEREBY THE PLATFORM MAY BE ADJUSTABLY COUPLED TO THE YOKE BY PASSING ONE LINK OF THE CHAIN THROUGH THE LOOP WITH THE NEXT SUCCEEDING LINK RESTING ON THE LOOP. 